BOATING TRAGEDY.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17183, 29 October 1923, Page 10

BOATING TRAGEDY.

FOUR LIVES LOST AT TAURANGA. Per Press Association. TAURANGA, October 28. The worst tragedy recorded of Tauranga harbour occurred on Saturday afternoon. about six o’clock, in the vicinity of Mount Maunganui, just inside the harbour entrance, and about three miles from the town of Tauranga, resulting in the loss of the lives of four children of one family. Early in the J afternoon seven children of Mr John Miller, a local plumber, rowed down the harbour to Mount Maunganui, in a twelve-foot dinghy. The names were:—4 Fred, aged twenty-four, Pimella (20), Bruce (17), Arnold (12), Linea (11), Hubert (8). Melvin (6). The afternoon was spent on the beach, and a start was made for home just after 5.30. A fresh Westerly breeze was blowing with a choppy sea. When about five hundred yards from the shore, the boat rolled and shipped a sea. half filling her. She immediately took more water and sank. The occupants all grasped the boat, but unfortunately all were on one side and she rolled over. This was repeated several times, until only Fred was left clinging to the boat. None could swim well, except Bruce, who was a good swimmer, but was the only one with boots on. He 'helped his two small brothers back to the boat several times. It seems that after losing hold of the boat all drifted apart. Fred, still clinging to the boat, saw his little** sister Linea trying to swim and called to her to float, and the same to Arnold. Both with wonderful presence of mind turned on their backs and floated. They were then about a chain apart, but drifted together, and interlocking one another’s arms continued floating. Both were wearing oilskin coats, which apparently saved their lives. Line i says she saw her eldest sister Pimella., who was unable to swim, holding up the two youngest boys. Bruce, who was a strong swimmer, and had a medal for swimming from Auckland to Northcote when about twelve years of age, was not seen again. No one witnessed the accident, but Fred’s cries attracted the attention of Mr Jeffares, railway stationmaster in charge, who rushed to the beach and saw Fred near the shore on the keel of the upturned boat. With Mr Lindell, Public Works shops foreman, lie waded out and assisted him ashore, well spent after about half an hour in the water,v and drifting half a mile. In the meantime Messrs Isherwood and Nathan pushed a boat off the beach and endeavoured ’without oars to reach Linea and Arnold, whom they saw floating together about two chains off the beach. Fortunately they picked up floating oars from the upturned boat and rescued the two children, who although then conscious, remembered nothing further till a couple of hours later. Mr Lindell and others meantime righted Miller’s boat and went in search of the others. A few chains from the shore they saw another body, which proved to’be that of the youngest boy, Melvin, floating face down. He was immediately got ashore and respiration tried unavailingly for two hours. Constables Skinner and Clifford, with Dr Cattell. proceeded from here to Maunganui as soon as advised of the accident, and brought the body to tC> The beach was patrolled all night, and dragging was carried on to-day, but the bodies of Pimella, Bruce and Hubert have not yet been recovered.